Fields of Gold
by GoldAngel2
Summary: This is my first Battle of the Planets fanfic-I discovered the series when I was a freshman in college as a Commercial Art major and as a fan of anime I rediscovered the series from Rhinomation.


_Authors' Note: This is my first Battle of the Planets fanfic inspired by the Sting song "Fields of Gold" and by a certain scene in the command room of 7 Zark 7 where a very sweet exchange took place between Mark and Princess (I'm not sure which episode it was at the end of) and pretty much made it clear that there were deep feelings between them. I saw that scene as a catalyst for the two of them and the need to make a difficult decision for the benefit of the team. The characters are the property of Sandy Frank Syndication and Tatsunuko and this is no infringement of their copyright._

**FIELDS OF GOLD**

It was a soft summer day, puffy white clouds dancing on a western zephyr against a warm cerulean sphere. The single propeller craft gliding so effortlessly on the gentle breeze was but a single speck in the sky, resembling a graceful bird in flight. Mark, the young pilot soared to the limits of the small plane in altitude, then banked and dove as he followed the wind. The sky was his peace and his refuge, a place for thinking, daydreaming, and escape from the responsibilities that his broad young shoulders bore as Commander of G-Force. But today he found himself on the horns of an intensely personal dilemma, one he had a deep ambivalence about handling.

_She worries about me. We're all dedicated to the same vow we took and the possibility of sacrificing our lives in a moment's notice is unspoken between the five of us but it's there, nevertheless. We all operate as a team, the sum of parts, a whole, five acting as one, but she worries about me...ME. Why me? There were times I thought I saw her eyeing Jason in that way and who could blame her? Jason can be so much more exciting; a daredevil that can turn a girl's heart in the blink of an eye, headstrong, impulsive, unpredictable. And he's got the moody good looks that always gets the attention of any chick within a ten yard radius. But Princess told me she worries about me._

His bright blue eyes became soft as Mark banked the plane again and flew toward the northern sky content to be lost in the atmosphere and his reverie.

_She asked me if I really thought she was pretty. What a question! Surprised that I even had to, I told her I thought she was the prettiest girl in the galaxy. Truth is she is breathtaking, a delicate gentle soul who was appropriately named after the Swan, resembling in appearance and manner the snow white birds whose beauty and grace is renowned. Skin like fine porcelain, hair glossy black like raven's wings beneath which is a quick and brilliant mind, and those cat eyes. Deep green and fathomless like a jadestone with a mixture of warmth and intuitiveness that causes my heart to pound. She also has the dexterity and nimbleness that makes her an exceptional warrior and such a sweet paradox. What more could a man ask?_

Mark sighed deeply as his mind like his plane continued to roam.

_It's always been there. This thing between me and Princess. I always somehow make sure that she's with me on missions and during investigations when we're working. The rest of the team picks up on it, teasing Princess unmercifully. I'm the Commander so they wouldn't try it with me out of respect for my position but Jason sometimes looks at me with that smug know-it-all smartass smile that makes me want to pop him one. And even Chief Anderson has noticed, feeling it necessary to remind me the other day after debriefing that attraction or not, sparks or no sparks, we all have a job to do and need to put our emotions aside. Yeah, right easier said then done, Chief! Since that little exchange between us in Zark's control room, the atmosphere between me and Princess has been electric, the air before a severe storm, like something's going to give and it's being broadcast to everyone._

As he mused, Mark's eyes fell on his fuel gauge and seeing he only had a quarter of a tank, he decided to head home. As he dipped and turned to head back to the airfield and his shack, Mark began thinking about how he both longed for and dreaded the meeting with Princess that was waiting for him when he landed. He had called her earlier at the Snack and asked for her to meet him so they could talk and she readily agreed, her tone dripping with trepidation to match his own. She was only too aware of their need as G-Force to put duty above all. At least, he hoped so!

While he approached the landing strip, Mark spotted the dark head above a cherry pink T-shirt with the familiar 3 on it. He allowed himself the luxury of admiring the view of clingy white jeans with pink pinstripes that covered gently rounded hips and slender shapely legs that were compact, powerful weapons in their own right, which completed the picture. While he taxied down the strip to the hangar, Mark took note of the way Princess had sat on the grass along the airstrip, languid and relaxed as the air stirred by his propellers caused her raven strands to fly about her lovely face. She had it raised skyward with eyes closed, sooty lashes resting on her high cheekbones catching the warm rays of the afternoon sun that had turned the overgrown grass that surrounded her into a field of gold. Mark pulled the small plane over to the hangar and cut the motor. He sighed as he opened the glass dome and climbed out, pulling his gloves off and tossing them on the seat of the craft. He straightened his shoulders and strode purposefully toward her. Princess opened her eyes as Mark's shadow blotted out the rays that she had been basking in. She smiled tentatively at him in greeting.

"Hi, Mark. How was the flight"

Mark sat down on the grass beside her. "Awesome. Clear as a bell and hardly any wind. Today was a perfect day for taking a flight." He reached and squeezed her hand. "Thanks for coming out, Prin."

Princess shrugged her slim shoulders. "There were no customers at the Snack after the lunch rush so I closed up till dinner. So" she said, taking a deep breath. "What's up"

"Where's Keyop" he asked, avoiding the inevitable.

"He's with Tiny. Tiny took him deep sea fishing on his boat. They left about 6 this morning. And I have no idea where Jason is, he's probably at the track. So there's the role call, Commander."

Mark flinched at the slight irony of her tone. "Don't call me that, Princess. We're not on duty now and I thought we were friends."

Princess sighed"We are friends, Mark, maybe even more. What do you think" She gazed steadily into his eyes.

Mark bit his lip, emotions raging in conflict within, between desire and duty. He gazed back and reached his hand to brush the inky strands from her eyes. "I think the same thing you're thinking." She smiled at those words and just as quickly her smile faded as she heard his next words. "But I'm also thinking that it may be a big mistake."

Princess stiffened. "Why am I not surprised" she said derisively. She began to get up but Mark took hold of her arm to restrain her.

"Prin, hear me out, okay? I've done a lot of thinking since that day in the control room at Center Neptune and I want to tell you what I'm thinking. So please give me a chance." Mark pleaded, his eyes earnest, reflecting the blue of the summer sky.

Princess looked at his expression and all annoyance fled. He appeared anxious and filled with pent up feelings. She sat back down, tossed her hair back and said grudgingly"Okay, Mark. I'm listening."

Mark took a deep breath and took her hand. "First, I meant what I said to you in the control room the other day. But I wasn't entirely truthful." She looked at him quizzically as he continued. "I don't just think you're pretty, I think you're beautiful. And that beauty is more than just how you look, it's your kindness, gentleness, your honor, and conscientiousness. I'm so glad to have someone like you on my team."

Princess eyed him steadily. He went on"But, I have to tell you, Prin, that I'm realizing that every day that I am feeling more intensely personal about you. I know that as G-Force Commander I have a responsibility to the entire team but as a man I want to express my feelings 'cause I know how you feel about me."

Princess blushed"Not very subtle am I"

Mark chuckled"No, but then neither am I lately. Chief Anderson picked up on it at the briefing the other day. I guess I was a little too touchy-feely toward you and he noticed."

"I see."

Mark nodded"I'm totally to blame. I just wanted to touch you, to feel the reassurance of you next to me. When I confronted Zoltar alone during our last mission and I was facing the possibility of not returning to the Phoenix alive I thought about all you guys. After all, we're the only family any of us have known for a long time. But I especially thought about you, Prin. I thought about the very real possibility of dying before I had a chance to say" he let the words trail.

Princess sat transfixed, her ears expectantly waiting to hear what she had waited so long to hear. "Yes, Mark"

Mark gazed deeply into her jade eyes. There was no turning back now. "That I would die before telling you I love you" he barely whispered.

Princess felt tears glide down her cheeks. "Oh, Mark, I've waited so long for you to say it. I love you too, almost from the day Chief Anderson brought us all together."

They gazed at each other oblivious to anything but each other. Mark took Princess' face in his hands and drew her lips to his in a slow tender kiss. Like a spark to dry tinder, pent up, denied feelings between them burst into passion like a conflagration. Princess moaned softly as she fell back into the long grass and Mark found himself on top of her, tasting of the sweetness he knew would be her. She rose up to meet him, her lips parted to receive him as he murmured endearments along with her name while drinking the honey of her mouth.

They began exploring each other, hesitant at first, like the two people they were, both barely into adulthood. Neither had much experience with the opposite sex due to the commitment they had made to G-Force, the Cause always came first as they grew from orphaned children through adolescence. Normal curiosity was there but between training and getting used to each other, they hadn't given their hormones a thought. Now the boys with the exception of Keyop, were in fact young men, gangly awkwardness giving way to the sinewy power of manhood, their voices deep and rich. And Princess had blossomed into a young woman with a lean dancer's body full of lissome grace and an ethereal beauty. Caught up in each other, Mark and Princess explored each part of their prospective bodies with eager fingers all resolve forgotten, totally swept away.

They pulled apart and both exhausted fell back into the tall grass. With the heavy burden of leadership on him Mark sighed, realizing that both of them had gotten carried away, things were not going as they should so he took a deep breath and tried again, sitting up to face her.

"I guess we got a little off the track" he said sheepishly.

Princess sat up as well and regarded him evenly. "The road to ruin is often paved in good intentions" she commented sagely.

Mark nodded"Princess, the chief reminded me the other day about the importance of keeping our personal feelings out of our work. He wants to make sure that the ongoing success of G-Force is not compromised in any way."

Princess sighed"I figured that was the real reason for this little tete-a-tete." She abruptly got to her feet and he did as well. "Let me take a guess of what he said. 'You can't allow personal emotions to interfere with life and death decisions for the team. You all took vows and I expect you to honor them,' she mimicked in a perfect Anderson monotone.

Mark turned away at the undisguised bitterness in her tone. "That's right" he said regretfully, feeling awkward as what to say next.

He reached for her shoulders but she turned her back to him, letting the western breeze blow her shiny black hair over her face so he wouldn't see the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. The hard thing was that she knew deep down he and the chief were right. She didn't want to become like other girls, selfishly fussing and pleading with their men to not take foolish, life threatening chances but as a part of G-Force, she knew that what constituted as foolish to the average civilian was sometimes the best decision in the endless quest of defeating Zoltar. And Mark was in fact, her commander so therefore she was bound to obey his orders and support his decisions even if she didn't always agree with them. As part of the team, she had no choice.

Princess straightened up, squared her shoulders and tossing her hair back turned to face the G-Force commander. "You're both right of course. I understand completely and you can count on me to support the team in every way" she stated in a soft but remote voice.

Mark said with difficulty"This hasn't been easy for me, Prin. I've had to remind myself the same thing and I'm telling you honey, that I was wishing I'd never heard of G-Force." "But" he added, reaching to push a strand of hair out of her eyes. "If I'd never heard of G-Force, I'd have never met you." He smiled a bittersweet smile that caused his eyes to twinkle like a blue diamond.

Princess returned the smile in the same sweetly sad way and she said. "I'm glad for that, too." She placed her hands lightly on his hard muscled chest.

Mark sighed, her mere touch igniting the heat in his body all over again and he fought the urge to take her and kiss her as hungrily as he had before. He looked deeply into Princess's eyes and saw the same yearning in her.

The afternoon was getting later, the sun moving toward the western horizon to begin its sojourn into the evening but still shone with a midsummer's intensity. White cumulous clouds were like fluffs of cotton floating lazily across the sun's face momentarily hiding it and the breeze had freshened, causing the long black and deep brown locks of the young couple to fly about their faces.

Mark broke the silence by saying"Uh, the chief also told me he wants all of us in his office tomorrow at nine sharp to brief us on a new mission." At Princess's resigned expression he smiled a bright engaging smile as he continued"But we have the rest of the afternoon and evening off. I'm sure Keyop and Tiny will be out on the boat till late and Jason will probably be in the company of some race groupie from the track till the wee hours so that leaves you and me. And I don't have any plans, do you"

Princess grinned mischievously up at him. "I was going to go back to the Snack but as proprietress, I can choose when and if I want to open. And it is such a beautiful day."

Mark took her by the hand and led her back to the overgrown grassy field where he gently guided her to sit down again. He took his seat beside her and softly pushed her back as he positioned himself on top of her, caressing her cheek with the back of his right hand. Taking her chin he drew her mouth to his as his other hand buried itself in her silky tresses, curls fanned beneath her head like fine black lace. She rose her body up to meld to his as the passions between them once again took hold.

Tomorrow it would be business as usual, two young soldiers preparing for another fight to protect Earth against the evil empire of Spectra, facing possible death for the cause. Tomorrow it would be G-1 and G-3, both dedicated in serving their planet with all their skills honed and ready. But today, it was Mark and Princess, a young man and a young woman whose youthful passion and mutual love were freely and totally expressed lying by his airstrip among the fields of gold. And the sun, peeking out from behind the clouds, sparkled and bathed the entwined forms in warm rays of approval.

**END**


End file.
